The San Francisco 49ers just saw two of their shiny new free agent signings, offensive lineman Vederian Lowe and wide receiver Christian Kirk, walk off the practice field early on Sunday. Coach Kyle Shanahan had Chris Foerster speak on injuries, and Foerster was pretty much mum on everything. It just leaves you guessing, you know?
Injury Bug Bites Hard in San Francisco
Lowe, a free agent addition this offseason, apparently suffered “some type of ankle injury.” Foerster offered up, “It’s his ankle. We’ll see exactly what it is… Hopefully, he’s not that bad.” Not exactly the most reassuring update, right? When a coach avoids specifics, you know it’s a real question mark. Rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. had to step in for Lowe.
Then there’s Christian Kirk, another new free agent wideout, who walked off with the trainers midway through practice. For Kirk, this isn’t uncharted territory at all. The guy has a history, missing the first couple of games of the 2025 season and then re-aggravating hamstring injuries. Back in 2024 with Jacksonville, he was battling groin and core muscle issues. Kirk’s on a one-year deal, and his roster spot isn’t even guaranteed. If they release him, the 49ers would eat $2.78 million in dead cap. As the saying goes, you can’t help the club from the tub, and Kirk has been in that tub way too much lately. This is a truly high-stakes situation for him and for the team’s investment.
Rookies and Vets Stealing the Show
Despite those injury concerns, there were some serious bright spots emerging from the Bay Area practice fields. That rookie who filled in for Lowe, Enrique Cruz Jr., got some major praise from Foerster. “Yeah, Enrique’s been a real plus,” Foerster said. “Everybody in the building’s pleased with him. People come up out of nowhere… and say, ‘Gosh, that Enrique’s doing a really nice job.’ He’s really professional, really working on it. He has a learning curve, like all the young guys do. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s done all the right things to this point.” Sounds like they might have found a gem there, and he’s already getting a chance to prove it.
Foerster also had some glowing reviews for other receivers, especially veteran Mike Evans and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. Evans is apparently fitting right in. “Man, I love having him out there,” Foerster raved. “The guy’s obviously he’s a real pro. His skillset and the things he does well are going to add so much to our football team. We saw a play today in the red zone in OTAs. There’s just so many places where Mike’s going to help our football team and I’m very excited to have him.” With Purdy’s margin for error being “sky-high” when targeting Evans, you can bet the red zone presence is going to be massive. Stribling got called “awesome” and “phenomenal” by Foerster, described as “mature, strong, fast, physical, understands the game, lines up the formations, very professional about things.” Those are some seriously high marks for a young guy!
With injury questions swirling around a couple of key offseason additions, the 49ers will be watching Lowe’s ankle and Kirk’s uncertain future closely. The silver lining is clear with young talent like Cruz Jr. and Stribling stepping up, alongside a seasoned pro like Evans making an immediate impact. It’ll be fascinating to see how these situations unfold as the regular season approaches.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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